POUGHKEEPSIE – Marist College has locked down their freshman dorm, Champagnat Hall, due to a student that tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an off-campus party.
The college sent a letter to students, saying in part “It has come to our attention that an off-campus student who had tested positive for COVID-19 recently came into contact with several Marist students, including residents of Champagnat Hall, at an off-campus party. It is important to note that the student who tested positive has not come on campus or attended class in-person at any point.” Marist recently suspended 15 students for attending an off-campus party.
The college said they have activated their contact tracing team, who have identified students who may have come into contact with the infected student. All students who attended the party were tested, sent home to quarantine, and are suspended pending a judicial hearing. Until their results are received, a temporary quarantine will be implemented in Champagnat Hall.
During the temporary quarantine, Marist said, “students in Champagnat must return to their rooms immediately and must attend their Thursday classes virtually, not in person. If you are impacted by this, please inform your professors that you will not be attending class in-person tomorrow.”
Students in Champagnat Hall are required to stay in their rooms and utilize Grubhub to order meals. Marist admitted that they cannot provide an exact timeframe for the temporary quarantine requirement and are working with MidHudson Regional Hospital, to expedite the results.
If any test results are positive, Marist said they will immediately enact a more comprehensive surveillance testing plan.
The notification was sent by Geoff Brackett, Executive Vice President, Thom Wermuth, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Deb DiCaprio, Vice President for Student Affairs.
